Means for regulating the intensity of action of massaging or exercising machines



Feb. 18, 1930.

A. D. LUEHRMANR ET AL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE INTENSITY OF ACTION OF MASSAGING OR EXERCISING MACHINES Filed July 11, 1928 pun INVEN RI HLFREQ 0. L.UHR/1AN/V. FRA/Vc/S I HTTORNEK latented Feb. 1.8, 1930 Urrn ALFRED D. LUEHRMANN AND FRANCIS K; MECEHAN, or s'r. Louis, MISSOURI SFOR REGULATING THE INTENSITY OF ACTION OF MASSAGING OR'EXERGISI'NG MACHINES I v Application filed July 11, 1928. Serial No. 291,864.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in exercising or massaging machines. There are various types of these machines, but they are all characterized by the fact that two arms are rapidly reciprocated in alternation and a belt having its ends secured to these arms is applied to the body and rapidly drawn back and forth to produce a massaging effect upon the part of the body to which it isapplied.

While many of these machines have adj ustable features for reducing or increasing the severity of the action of the belt, the adjustment of the machines is not always easy, especially for women, and cannot be effected while the machine is in use. Some makes of machines have no means for adjusting the degree of the agitating action whatever. Many persons have had operations of one kind or another, leaving the, particular part of the body where the operation was performed very sensitive, or some part of the body may be sensitive dueto some abnormal condition, and a massaging action of these machines that would be pleasant and stimulating at one part of the body will be too severe, and even painful, when applied at such a sensitive part of the body. In such cases, the one using the machine must either becontent with a gentle action for the whole body, or must interrupt the treatment and adjust the machine to accommodate its motionto some sensitive partof the body.

his the object of our invention to enable the'degree of the exercising or massaging action ofthe belt employed to be" readily adjusted by very-simple manipulations and in a veryvshort time, and without the user of the machine having to remove the belt from his body. ith theabove' object in view, our invention consists in applying means to the belt for adjustably drawing the end portions of the belt, between thebody'of the user and the ma chine, toward each other,-which we have discovered operates to very decidedly decrease the severity of the action of the-belt.

A further object of the invention is to provide'means for a plying the adjusting device to the belt at di erent points in the and por tions thereof, whereby a great range of adjustment in the action of the belt is secured.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side view of an exercising belt with an adjusting device mounted thereon; Figure 2 is a plan View of the same; Figure 3 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4: is a side view slightly in perspective illustrating the use of the invention;

and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a preferred form of adj usting device.

Referring now to the drawing, the numerals 1, 2 indicate, respectively, the hooks on the two arms of an exercising or massaging machine, on which hooks the ends of a belt 3 are adapted to be removably secured. To thisend, each end of the belt ,is provided with a loop 4, usually of leather, which may be readily inserted over the hooks 1, 2. The belt 3 is usually of canvas. When so applied and with the hooks 1 and 2 vibratingrapidly in alternation, the belt will be drawn rapidly back and forth on the body of the user, pro- .ducing a more or less violent agitation of the.

body, depending upon the degree of severity of the vibrating action employed. We will now describe the means which we employ for regulating the severity of the action of the exercising belt 3.

I The numerals 5, 6, and 7 indicate, respectively, corresponding sets of eyeleted openings formed in the end portions of the belt 3 at corresponding distances from the ends thereof. That is to say, the corresponding apertures 5 are located at a comparatively.

short distance from the respective ends of the belt, the apertures 6 at a greater distance, and

V the apertures 7 at the greatest distance from the ends of the belt. Into one or the other "sets of these apertures, we insert suitable means, to be operated by the user, for drawing ,theend portions of the belt toward each other. In one form of the invention, we may employ any flexible means for this purpose,

such as a rope or a chain, which may be either simply pulled on by the user to draw the end portions of the belt toward each other,

tionsof the belt and in a mannerto extend and be held in any given adjusted position while the given part of the body is being -massa-ged; we find it desirable, however, to-

hold the adjusting device in any position to which .it is adjusted, in order to'lea ve the handsof the operator free, and we'have a-ccording-1y illustrated a chain having a' snaphook on one-end to be used for thispurpose.

. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, the chain 8 is passed through the apertures 6' in thetwo end pori between such end portions as shown, and

then the snap-hook 9 on one end of the chain is engaged in one of the links'of the other end portion of the chain. At any time, the user; I of the machine can readily decrease or 'increase'the degree of vibration effective ;on

the body by removing the "snap-hook from onel'inkand securing it in a link further away or nearer to the other end of'the' 'chain, as the, casemaybe, The nearer the end portions of the belt between the body of the user and the machine ar'e'brought together,

7 thelless', severe thea'ction of the belt on the body. Therefore, by releasing the snap-hook and increasing the distance between the; two end portions of the belt, the vibrating or agitating action. of the belt can be increased in intensity. This range of adjustment, of

V 5 as respects the degree of agitation for given" adjustment. 1 c r I I v In Fig. 5', we have shown a preferred form ofadju'sting device, which is the invention of Alfred 'D. Luehrmann', one of the co-invenl tors herein, and which forms the subject thatr 7 telescoping members whichare' adaptedto be e ter of a separate application for patent. This device is made' oi' metal and comprises two i inserted in one or thexotherof the sets of apertures'in the end portions of the belt and to be adjusted in various positions to draw such end portions-of the belt toward each other. i v

To this end, one-member of the device is formedof a metal bar having the shape, substantially, of elongated. U providing a head 10' and; two legs 11, 12. The other member of the device is of substantially the same shape,-havinga head 13 and legs 14 and'15.-

The legs '14: ,and1-5 of the second member. of the device are hollow and are adapted to receive the legs 11, and 12 of the firstnamed member or the device. The upper leg-"11' of this latter" deviceis provided on its upper side with a series'ofratchet teeth l6.- The leg. 4 14 of the'secondnamed member-of the device fie' 'samewha shorter than the lower leg 15 and has on its inner end an upright tubular projection 17in which is mounted a ratchet pin 18 normally pressed into engagement with the teeth 16 of the leg 11 by a coil spring 19. The upper end of the projection 17 is screwth-readed and acap 2O screwed on this outer'en'd maintains the ratchet pin in proper position. I through the upper end of this cap and has a head 21* by grasping which with the fingers, the ratchet pin may be lifted out of engage-1 ment with the ratchet teeth to enable the we The said ratchet pin pro ects members of the adjusting device to be pulled apart and, if necessary, separated. This latter, of course, is necessary when first applyingthe device to-the belt, inorder to enable the. respective legsof the two, members of said device to be passed through the corresponding apertures 5, 6,01? 7 of the bel't. The

ratchet teeth andratchetpi-n co-operate in a manner to permit the two member-sot the adjusting device to be easily pushed inward, to bring the two heads 10. and 18 toward each other, in order to decrease the distance between the end portions 'of the belt, but to prevent the separation of'the-two members of the device after the same have: been once adjusted.

In operation, it. will be seen thatzthe' adjusting device can b epulled aparta-suflicient'distance sothatthe end portions of thebelt will 7 run straight from the bodyto the hooks 1 2, and themaximumseverity of action afforded by the machine will result. Them-by simply pressing thetwo heads IOuand 13 to]- ward each oth'er, the ratchet pin willpass' over the ratchet teeth 16 and the two end portions of the belt will be drawn'at greateror less distance toward each other and will'be maintained in t'hispositijon by the engagement of 3' the ratchet pin with the ratchet teeth. This, as stated, decreasesth'e. severity ofthe action, and further adjustments canub'e made either to further decrease the severity of the action or to increase the same, as will be understood. V

We claim! 1.

1. In massagin g'machines of vibrating belt type, in combination, with the'exercising 7 belt, means carried by and connected there- .withfor adjusting opposite side p'ortions'oii the belt between the body-and the 'end'sjconi nected to the machine toward and from each other to" vary the intensity of action ofthe belt on the body;

2. In-massagi ng machines of the vibrating belt type, in combination with the exercising belt, flexible means connected'therewith' for drawing opposite side portions of-the belt he between the body and the ends connected to Y"- the machine toward each other to lessen the severity of action of the belt on the body;

3. In massaging machineslof the vibrating belt type, in'combination with theexercising I belt, means for adjusting the distance be f tween opposite side portions of the belt between the body and the ends connected to the machine to vary the intensity of the action.

of said belt upon the body.

4. In massaging machines of the vibrating belt type, in combination with the exercising belt, adjustable means mounted thereon for varying the distance between opposite side portions of the belt between the body and the ends connected to the machine to regulate the degree of action of the belt on the body.

5. An exercising belt for massaging machines of the vibrating belt type provided at each of its ends with means for attaching the belt to the vibratory members of a machine and having correspondingly positioned apertures at points thereon removed from its ends for receiving a connecting means extending between the end portions of the belt at such points, to hold such portions of the belt drawn toward each other, whereby the intensity of the vibrating action of the belt may be modified.

6. An exercising belt for massaging machines of the vibrating belt type provided at each of its ends with means for attaching the belt to the vibratory members of a machine and having a series of correspondingly positioned apertures at points thereon removed from each of its ends whereby a connecting medium may be extended between the end portions of the belt and secured in one or the other sets of apertures to hold the end portions of the belt at such selected points drawn toward each other to adjustably modify the vibrating action of the belt.

7 In massaging machines of the vibrating belt type, an exercising belt having correspondingly positioned apertures at points thereon removed from its ends, and adjusta ble means engaging in said apertures and extending between opposite side portions for varying the distance between the'same to regulate the degree of the agitating efi'ect of the belt upon the body of the user.

8. In massaging machines of the vibrating belt type, an exercising belt having corresponginly positioned apertures in its end portions, flexible connecting means passed through said apertures and extending between the end portions of the belt, and means for adjusting the length of said connecting means to vary the distance between the end portions of said belt, whereby to regulate the degree of the agitating efiect upon the body of the user.

9. An exercising belt having located at corresponding positions at points thereon removed from its ends, attaching means for the ends of a connection extending between said end portions.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

ALFRED D. LUEHRMANN. FRANCIS X. MEEHAN. 

